Thoughts from Guatemala 2009

Como Estas? Moy Bien, Gracious!

First of all, thank you all for your prayers for our trip. We needed the prayer cover from the start, and God, true to his promises, showed up big time! Before we even hit Guatemalan soil, miracles were leading the way! Pastor Scooter’s illness and ER visit, hours before the flight left for Guatemala was a shocking and deflating turn of events. But to our amazement, God used it as evidence that we were about to see him move in a mighty way.

What an amazing experience this has been! Life changing is an understatement. My mind is full of memories, faces, and total awe at what God has done. The medical clinic saw over 500 patients, the evangelism team lead 159 to Christ, and the construction team helped put up walls that will house a Pastor and his family, as well as more Charlie’s Lunch facilities. This means lives will be touched in a very tangible way in villages that have amazing needs. I wish so much that I could communicate the sounds, SMELLS, and sights we encountered, because without them, it is very difficult to explain all that we experienced. And unfortunately, due to technical difficulties with my camera, I do not have many pictures to share. (We set up a Shutterfly Account for the rest of the team to share their pictures; so hopefully, I will get some pictures soon.) So, words will have to do. Lord, help me!

The team leader, Chris Jordan, was a total pro. Every detail of the trip was well handled and under control. Organized is an understatement, the man was so on top of it all. What a pleasure it was to serve under his leadership! There were three teams, from three states, two denominations, but we all came together in Atlanta, GA to join as one. Right away we each had medical bags to carry and be responsible for during the trip. All but four made it, due to Customs in Guatemala. They wanted to charge taxes on the value of the donated supplies. It took days to resolve, but we eventually did get the supplies back in time to use at the last village we visited. Praise God!

Once out of the Airport, we boarded a nice tour bus for the five hour trip up to the mountain to Xela. This was an exciting adventure in itself. I heard from the front of the bus on several occasions, via minor whimpers and groans, and figured the bus had cut it close a few times, but I preferred to stay in the back and remain as ignorant as possible while heading up the mountain. Afterwards, I heard the front of the bus went over the edge several times. Nice.

Once in Xela, we emptied all our luggage and medical supplies and headed into the hotel. Finally. Carrying a 50 lb. bag up five flights at 5,000 feet altitude proved to be a challenge. So, half way up, when a bell hop offered to carry my bag, I was more than ready to let him! So, he literally threw my bag onto his shoulders, grabbed the other two he already was carrying, and sped up the steps. Unfortunately, he went up an extra flight, and even though I tried to stop him, I had to carry my bag down again. But it was worth the tip to see him carrying more than his own weight in luggage like it was nothing! Then we were off to dinner, a shower, and finally bed. Sleep never felt so good.

The next day was our first day of ministry in the village of Chuikavok. We boarded the tour bus and drove to meet the school bus, lovingly christened the “chicken bus”. We boarded the chicken bus because the tour bus was too big to make it to the village. We met our two interpreters, Glenda and Guesetta, fast friends, and headed to work. First order of business was setting up in the church for devotions and praise and worship. Awesome! This was church like I have never had it and I LOVED it. Baptists and Assemblies of God (AOG) can worship together, I promise!

After devotions, we broke into teams. I joined the Evangelism team and with our face painting supplies and nail polish in hand, four of us headed for the streets, along with others carrying balls, balloons, and games. It was our job to create a commotion and bring attention to the church. Just in case the sight of 41 Gringos on a chicken bus wasn’t enough. Soon, I was surrounded by little bodies. (I think I’ll have pictures of this later.) The kids loved having their hands painted! It was a blast. They taught me the names of the shapes and colors in Spanish and laughed at my attempts to pronounce the simplest of words, but it was fellowship all the same. Three hours later, our team had the pleasure of moving into the house of a local volunteer. She met us in the streets, waving us in the right direction. That is when we noticed that she had emptied her entire home to give us room to tell stories, color, and sing with the children. This 10 by 16 foot room became ground zero during the day and then turned back into her home at night for the next three days. Very humbling. This was also the place were the first groups of children accepted Jesus into their hearts, first 16, then 20, and so on. Tears stream down my face as I remember those precious faces. God is Good! The smell of mildew, sweat, urine, dirt, and who knows what ever else covered 70 bodies in that 10 by 16 room, and at times it was too much for some of us, but this was the home where many woman and children came to know that they had a savior, a loving God, who created them for a purpose and wanted to give them a hope for their future. This was like seeing God turn beauty for ashes right before our eyes.

This was Chuikavok for me and the Evangelism team, but simultaneously, the medical and constructions teams were also experiencing God move. Walls were raised under less than ideal circumstances, and bodies were cleansed, refreshed, and ministered too. Medicine without the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is an amazing thing! Many of the team learned to take blood pressures, give shots, and administer drugs and vitamins. We had one doctor and two nurses on the team, but many others registered and filled out paper work, ran the pharmacy and eye clinic, and handed out baby clothes and blankets. Two cases, minor to care for in the U.S., went untreated too long. One baby was 7 months old and weighed only 12 lbs; the other was 20 months but was also severely under weight. Neither would thrive. One had four months to live; the other would not live past the age of seven. Imagining those mothers going home with such news was heartbreaking. We surrounded them both and prayed for God to heal their babies, and tried to give them hope by reassuring them that they had both done a good job taking care of their girls. This was very difficult. I will never forget these women.

The next day we served the Charlie’s Lunch kids. This was a good day. Some helped make the meals, and others organized the gifts, or helped set up the make shift furniture for the children to eat lunch. The children filed in with their cups and bowls in hand and took their places very quietly. Though this was a happy time for us, it was also difficult because of the realization that this was the only meal many of them would have in several days. And then, there were the faces of the children pressed against the windows outside that would not be served. This was more than I could handle. This was my “moment” during the trip; the realization that what we were doing would still not be enough for all the children in Chuikavok shook me to the core.

After lunch, we handed out small gifts, like shoes, hygiene kits, hot wheels cars, hair bows, hats and t-shirts. This was fun!

Two faces I’ll always remember were Thomas (65 years old) and his wife, Catalina (54 years old). They have been married 35 years. When we heard of their age difference we teased Thomas about robbing the cradle and even with the language barrier, he knew exactly what we meant. He was very proud of his beautiful bride and she was just as smitten. Catalina loved to have her picture taken so hopefully a few shots of her and Thomas will emerge from the group. Monica and I had our pictures taken with them, but then Monica’s camera was stolen, along with all her pictures from the trip. It was not a good week for cameras!

The next day was a travel day. We left Xela, and headed for a short stop at El Caman. This was where the team had worked last year. Seeing the Charlie’s Lunch facilities here was heart lifting. The children looked very well fed compared to Chuikavok. They were clean, happy, and best of all healthy. This was the home of Lady, a small girl who had survived cancer. She was a great sight. I would have never known that she had had cancer from looking at her. The team from last year was thrilled! This was also the site our church had donated a water bump. To see it in operation was incredible. Clean water is nothing to take for granted anyone.

After this quick stop, it was on to Antigua and another trip down the mountain. This was equally as hair-raising but praise God, we made it! Our Hotel in Antigua was our last stop and headquarters for the next three days. It was nice to be some what settled, with fewer bags to carry, and nicer accommodations. Again, dinner, a hot shower, and then off to bed and sleep, wonderful sleep!

El Aguacate was the final place of ministry. The condition of this village was some where in between Chuikavok and El Caman. It was more westernized but still very poor. Here the spiritual atmosphere was unique to Chuikavok due to the fact that the Pastor and his family lived on site. The need to complete the Pastor’s home in Chuikavok is essential and therefore the mission feels incomplete. Please pray for the village of Chuikavok and its Pastor. If the Charlie’s Lunch Facilities can be improved there, it will mean a better quality of life to that community in many ways. Again, our daily devotions were amazing, and even more so here. Singing God of the City in El Aguacate was a highlight I will never forget. Afterwards, for me, more face painting. I loved it. I sat outside a little store front and the scene reminded me of the old TV show 220. The shop keeper lady was sitting on the steps and she “gossiped” with the ladies as they walked by. It was fun for me to witness. And the fact that she was quite a character didn’t hurt either.

Here I met Dominese, Katy, Catalina, Kevin, Karen, and Nataly, my ladies and gentleman. These children captured my heart. Dominese also “captured” a ring, stuffed lion named David, and a family photo. The way her face lit up was better than all the antibacterial hand soap in China! Truly, I would have brought her home in a heart beat, but I am blessed to know that she is healthy and in a much better place than most.

El Aguacate was the icing on the cake, so leaving here was hardest. Our final minutes ended in an impromptu praise and jam session and a time of heartfelt intercession with the Pastor and his family. Pastor Louis, one of our team members and the leader of another Charlie’s Lunch Facility outside Guatemala City, lead the prayer. Since he only speaks Spanish, you would think this was awkward, but not at all. It was significant, powerful, and right on. After all, we sang in English and he had no problem singing along in Spanish as loud as could be! The unity of family was all we felt; family of God ties bind beyond culture, church membership, or denomination. It was beyond what I can express in words and one of the most powerful moments of the trip. God lives on the hill of El Aguacate. Amen!

So, it was time to leave now. And none of us wanted to really. A sweet little girl kept asking me about my back pack, and after finding an interpreter I discovered she wanted to carry it down the hill for me. What an honor. I was humbled and touched, and yes I cried. Still am. I walked down the hill, surrounded by my ladies, and we all hummed the words of a praise song until we reached the chorus, and then we sang Santo, Santo, Santo (Holy, Holy, Holy.) all the way to the bus. God is Good!

Thank you all for your prayers, support, and well wishes. I could not have done this trip without you. I am forever grateful for this experience and yes, I want to go back again next year! So, keep the prayers coming please. God is not done with Chuikavok yet, and I’d really like to go back and help finish the work there.